Let’s face it; Grandma just wants to have fun. The benefits of exercise and “play” for seniors are well known. Playful activities reduce the effects of dementia, stimulate mind and body, prevent illness and health decline, and improve overall quality of life.

Senior playgrounds have become increasingly popular in Europe and Asia as places for socializing, exercise and fun. In addition to walking paths and other landscape features, many of these parks feature adult-size equipment similar to those found in children’s playgrounds. However, these are no tot-lots! Picture a traditional gym—only outdoors—with fitness stations and equipment such as cross trainers that improve strength, flexibility and balance. These public parks help seniors stay fit and socialize in a non-intimidating environment.

In the US, many senior living providers include outdoor gardens and wellness centers in their private communities, but public playgrounds for seniors are a newer trend. As boomers age and naturally occurring retirement communities (NORC’s) develop, more seniors are seeking ways to age in place. Senior parks provide a much-needed opportunity for wellness right in a community’s backyard.

Intergenerational opportunities also abound when senior playgrounds are adjacent to, or within children's parks, allowing parents and grandparents to share meaningful play with children. This growing trend will likely continue as more US cities look to provide senior and multigenerational playgrounds in our communities. After all, age is nothing but a number when it comes to having fun.

Let’s face it; Grandma just wants to have fun. The benefits of exercise and “play” for seniors are well known. Playful activities reduce the effects of dementia, stimulate mind and body, prevent illness and health decline, and improve overall quality of life.

Senior playgrounds have become increasingly popular in Europe and Asia as places for socializing, exercise and fun. In addition to walking paths and other landscape features, many of these parks feature adult-size equipment similar to those found in children’s playgrounds. However, these are no tot-lots! Picture a traditional gym—only outdoors—with fitness stations and equipment such as cross trainers that improve strength, flexibility and balance. These public parks help seniors stay fit and socialize in a non-intimidating environment.

In the US, many senior living providers include outdoor gardens and wellness centers in their private communities, but public playgrounds for seniors are a newer trend. As boomers age and naturally occurring retirement communities (NORC’s) develop, more seniors are seeking ways to age in place. Senior parks provide a much-needed opportunity for wellness right in a community’s backyard.

Intergenerational opportunities also abound when senior playgrounds are adjacent to, or within children's parks, allowing parents and grandparents to share meaningful play with children. This growing trend will likely continue as more US cities look to provide senior and multigenerational playgrounds in our communities. After all, age is nothing but a number when it comes to having fun.

Let’s face it; Grandma just wants to have fun. The benefits of exercise and “play” for seniors are well known. Playful activities reduce the effects of dementia, stimulate mind and body, prevent illness and health decline, and improve overall quality of life.

Senior playgrounds have become increasingly popular in Europe and Asia as places for socializing, exercise and fun. In addition to walking paths and other landscape features, many of these parks feature adult-size equipment similar to those found in children’s playgrounds. However, these are no tot-lots! Picture a traditional gym—only outdoors—with fitness stations and equipment such as cross trainers that improve strength, flexibility and balance. These public parks help seniors stay fit and socialize in a non-intimidating environment.

In the US, many senior living providers include outdoor gardens and wellness centers in their private communities, but public playgrounds for seniors are a newer trend. As boomers age and naturally occurring retirement communities (NORC’s) develop, more seniors are seeking ways to age in place. Senior parks provide a much-needed opportunity for wellness right in a community’s backyard.

Intergenerational opportunities also abound when senior playgrounds are adjacent to, or within children's parks, allowing parents and grandparents to share meaningful play with children. This growing trend will likely continue as more US cities look to provide senior and multigenerational playgrounds in our communities. After all, age is nothing but a number when it comes to having fun.

Parcel artworkBrittany Coyle

ArticleMarguerite Anglin

EditingDavid Witham

ImagesThe Royal Parks
Anne Mare Briscombe

Share

The link between health and planning is clear.

Urban senior living communities are best conceived when thinking “out of the box.”

What do a neighborhood park, the urban tree canopy, and a community garden have in common?

National parks come in more varieties than you might expect.

How pets are bringing a dead landscape back to life.

Both size and distance matter in determining whether park and recreation service is adequate.

Living the retirement lifestyle at 25.

The importance of public space in bringing people together.

The solution may be located just outside the nearest city.

GARAGE

GRANNY FLAT

What's the recipe for an Urban Remix?

Three cheers for community pride.

A San Francisco parklet provides history lessons and builds community bonds.

"Aging in place" is a big buzz phrase in the industry right now. But is it really practical?

Professionals in planning and public health have a lot more in common than one might think.

INCORRECT

*Source: Access to Affordable and Nutritious Food: Measuring and Understanding Food Deserts and Their Consequences, USDA, June 2009

Community planning for the body and the budget.

CORRECT

*Source: Access to Affordable and Nutritious Food: Measuring and Understanding Food Deserts and Their Consequences, USDA, June 2009

Community planning for the body and the budget.

What are the social benefits behind the scenes of parklet design?

Can urban parks help take the sting out of bee population decline?

How America can grow more sustainable in the 21st century by using urban blocks to infill and extend existing cities.

Park for a day, community to stay...

A growing relationship between parks and typography standards.

Does your neighborhood school need a facelift? Consider a green schoolyard!

BEFORE

AFTER

No longer the leftover land in urban fabric, open space is updating its role as the figural nucleus of urban form, reaching beyond its boundaries to shape communities.

diffuse

isolated

For cities like Louisville, the future of greenways is rooted in traditional open space planning.

Why aren't sidewalks destinations in themselves?

What do Batman and planners have in common?

INCORRECT

After 50 years, Philly's successful zoning reform was all about the process!

CORRECT

After 50 years, Philly's successful zoning reform was all about the process!

Sustainability fever.

The founding four and our multidisciplinary roots.

Resolutions from planners and designers for the new year.

Designing a Community’s Future, the Fun (and Safe) Way

Smiles per gallon help make sports cars more sustainable than one might think.

Where in the City by the Bay can you find these letters?

How many functions does your street have?

Acre by acre, urban development is an economic winner for cities.

After twenty years of HOPE, Choice might be a winner.

How rowhomes can adapt to meet current preferences.

Why cut it back sooner if it still looks good?

An easy way to conserve water by the barrelful.

How marketing binds together planning and design work.

Where in the City of Brotherly Love can you find these letters?

Urban vs. Suburban / Public vs. Private?

Leave it to the professionals. But, how do we know who is a professional?

What's old is new again.

Let's make our drawings play nicely together.

Human-scaled development is the key to long-term neighborhood sustainability.

Opportunities for achieving the next level of innovation in sustainability for districts, campuses, and neighborhoods are gaining momentum.

Have information and signage become the new architectural aesthetic?

Why a well written code is a delicate balance.

Introducing planning issues to young children through storytelling can help them grasp the basic concepts.

How our passion for improving the natural and built environment extends beyond the office.

U.S. Census reveals population resurgence in central cities and universities across America.

Some of our favorite movies featuring some of our favorite cities.

Architect (ar-chi-tect) 1. The Rich, Sensitive Artist 2. The Underappreciated, Creative Professional (All that glitters is not gold!)

How low can you go?

Billing for impervious coverage makes Philadelphia a winner.

Black roofs are passe. Learn about white, blue, and green roofs.

How do public schools spur neighborhood revitalization?

INCORRECT

See the potential environmental impact of finding new uses for older buildings.

CORRECT

See the potential environmental impact of finding new uses for older buildings.

Resolutions from planners and designers for the new year.

Can architectural forms communicate without signage?

Informational

Architectural

How scenarios can inform the planning process.

How outgrown, stained, or shredded jeans can be used to insulate your home.